Tulwar Sword with Fluted Silvered Hilt - Lew's Estate

[Lee]

The tulwar is a classic form of Indian sabre. This example features a cast (as evidenced by faint lines at the top and bottom surfaces in the plane of the blade) non-ferrous (probably brass or bronze) delhishahi style hilt that has been silvered. The finial or tang button is of cubic form with with the edges flattened as seen in the photographs. The disc pommel features a sunburst of floral design and the grip area has a dominating fluted theme. The necks of the quillions are vaguely faceted. The 29 inch single-edged blade does not appear to have been formed of watered or patterned steel. A narrow central fuller runs most of the length of the blade and the half of the blade width at the back is concave for about two-thirds of the length of the blade and fades as the blade briefly widens towards the tip in a manner reminiscent of the yelman of the kilij, though the back edge is neither fully sharpened nor as sharply defined as seen in many Turkish examples.A pair of characters are inscribed into the blade near the langet on the same blade face with reflecting curved marks. A possible boundary runs just back from the edge on the opposite face and scattered shallow brown rust patches are present as illustrated. Lew's notes date this example as circa 1850. A considerably more recent wooden scabbard covered by black leather falls slightly short, whether by shrinkage or salvage is uncertain.
Swap Forum Sale Price - $540 Contact: lew@vikingsword.com